THE SHORT- WINGED SCAVENGER BEETLES. 



433 



LII. Scop^eus Erichs. 1840. (Gr., "a dwarf.") 



Very small and delicate species having the labrum short, trans- 

 verse and toothed; last joint of maxillary palpi acute, distinct; 

 ligula tricuspid; antennae filiform, subacuminate toward apex, the 

 first joint moderately elongate, second and. third obconic, the re- 

 mainder oval ; thorax oblong, more or less narrowed in front. Casey 

 has subdivided the genus as defined by Erichson into a number of 

 genera, herewith treated as groups or subgenera, three of which are 

 perhaps represented in Indiana, though members of but two have 

 as yet been taken. 



KEY TO INDIANA GROUPS OF SC01M3US. 



(/. Neck extremely slender. 



1). Hind tarsi rather short, the basal joint never more than slightly 

 longer than second ; body minute in size, more or less aluta^eous ; 

 gular sutures rattier widely separated. Group A. Scop^eus. 



66. Hind tarsi long, slender, the basal joint always distinctly longer than 

 second ; body subparallel, strongly convex, very minutely punctu- 

 late and pubescent; gular sutures virtually united from a short 

 distance behind the mentum. Group B. Scop^eopsis. 



aa, Neck moderately narrow, varying from a fourth to nearly a third as 

 wide as head ; gular sutures more or less widely separated, farthest 

 apart at base; labrum with four teeth; hind tarsi short, the basal 

 joint but little longer than second ; color black, polished, more or less 

 sparsely punctate. Group C. Pycnorus. 



Group A. (Scop^us.) 



Of the 20 or more species ascribed to this group by Casey, but 

 one has as yet been taken in the State. 



S30 (2546). Scop^eus exiguus Erichs., Gen. Spec. Staph., 1840, 608. 



Slender, parallel. Head and elytra blackish piceous ; thorax dusky yel- 

 low ; abdomen blackish, paler at tip ; antenna; and legs pale yellow. Head 

 slightly longer than wide, minutely and densely punctate above, more 

 sparsely beneath, truncate-sinuate at base. Thorax oblong, slightly longer 

 than wide, but little narrower and less densely punctate than head ; sides 

 obliquely truncate on apical third, thus narrowing to apex. Elytra dis- 

 tinctly wider than head and thorax, but slightly longer than the latter, 

 finely and densely punctate. Abdomen at base slightly narrower than ely- 

 tra, minutely and densely punctate. Length 2.4 mm. 



Marion and Putnam counties ; scarce. March 6-June 12. Taken 

 by sifting damp vegetable debris. 



Group B. (Scop^opsis.) 



8. duryi Casey, 4 mm. in length, piceous black, head, thorax and 

 antennas dusky yellow, was described from Cincinnati and was 



